Football BaBe
Barcelona’s Pre-Season Tour Uncertainty: Japan Segment Faces New Hurdles
Barcelona‘s preparations for the upcoming season are once again under a cloud of uncertainty, with the Japan leg of their pre-season tour hanging in the balance due to emerging logistical challenges. Despite recent resolutions to financial disputes, the club is now grappling with travel complications that could disrupt their Asian itinerary, adding another layer of drama to their off-season activities.
- Japan leg of Barca’s pre-season tour in doubt
- Club facing logistical issues
- Payment issues have already been resolved
Logistical Setbacks Threaten Barcelona’s Japan Pre-Season Plans
The Catalan club’s arrangements for their summer exhibition matches have encountered fresh obstacles. Following the apparent settlement of earlier financial disagreements, as reported by sources like Jijantes, new operational hurdles are now casting doubt on the feasibility of their journey to Japan, according to insights from Mundo Deportivo.
A dedicated aircraft, flight KE9916 headed to Kansai, remained grounded at El Prat Airport last Thursday because the team and the carrier couldn’t complete the necessary preparations promptly. The Blaugrana are now targeting a departure early Friday, anticipating arrival in time for their anticipated clash with Vissel Kobe on Sunday. The players are still based in Barcelona, pending official go-ahead, though a last-minute takeoff on Thursday evening hasn’t been entirely dismissed.
From Financial Turmoil to Travel Woes in Barcelona’s Asia Tour
The excitement surrounding Barcelona’s Asian pre-season venture took a dramatic turn when the club abruptly withdrew from the Japanese portion, citing contract violations by the event coordinators, D-Drive. The team was expecting a total of €15 million for a series of exhibition games and activities across Japan and South Korea, but only €10 million had been disbursed, mostly for the Korean fixtures. Lacking assurances for the remaining sum, Barcelona opted out mere hours before a high-profile event involving Marcus Rashford on Wednesday. This move caused ripples of disappointment in Japan, leading Rakuten, the key backer of Vissel Kobe, to intervene and settle the deficit, effectively reviving the tour. With the monetary issues sorted, the squad geared up for the trip once more.
Contingency Plans for Barcelona’s Pre-Season Schedule Amid Japan Doubts
If the Japanese matches ultimately fall through, Barcelona intends to carry on with their remaining commitments without interruption. They have fixtures lined up against South Korean teams FC Seoul and Daegu on July 31 and August 4. Recent updates indicate that pre-season tours like this are crucial for clubs, with global football revenues from such events reaching over €500 million annually in 2023, highlighting the stakes involved for teams like Barcelona in maintaining these international engagements.